Difference between 'such as' and 'like'

Question

This one never ceases to confuse me. When to use 'such as' and when to use 'like' while giving examples? Is there any clear rule?

• Metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Karachi are unsafe after dark.
• Metros such as Mumbai, Delhi and Karachi are unsafe after dark.

(Before anyone points out, Delhi and Karachi are unsafe round-the-clock, but it's just an example.)

Answer 1

"Such as" is more formal. However there is another subtle difference.

Consider these two examples:

Chuck enjoys desserts such as brownies, cheesecake, and macaroons

Chuck enjoys desserts like brownies, cheesecake, and macaroons

---

Note that the second example suggests a comparison (like brownies…), whereas the first example implies inclusion (such as brownies…), and that’s precisely what is meant. In other words, many consider likeness as not being the thing itself. When you say “desserts like brownies,” you're implying that you don't enjoy brownies themselves, but instead enjoy a different dessert similar to brownies. It's a subtle difference, but one to be aware of.

Reference: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/like-versus-such-as#sthash.l8VRCYQl.dpuf

Answer 2

Such as is preferable in formal prose, because it avoids the ambiguity that might be present with like. In your first sentence, a reader might briefly think that like was a verb. ‘The Cambridge Guide to English Usage’ puts it this way:

The argument for such as was that it prevented the ambiguity that might sometimes beset like (though the case seems to have been exaggerated). Yet this concern probably explains why such as is more than a thousand times commoner in academic writing than in speech. Such as is also found in fiction and news writing, but much less often. These facts of usage make such as more formal and academic in style, whereas like is straightforward and direct.

I’m not familiar, by the way, with this use of metro.

Answer 3

"Like" is more informal and commonly used to emulate the spoken language, while "such as" is better to be used in the written language because it is more formal.

Furthermore, "such as" is more indicated to introduce a list of elements at least three elements that have something in common, i.e.:

I've always loved chocolate cakes such as Sacher torte, Red Velvet and fudge cake!

Answer 4

Apologies, I am disobeying the instruction regarding how we may reply to threads here. I ask a complementary question. I was taught (in the US in late 1970's) that "such as" would be rather insulting to use in front of proper names. "Like" should be used when invoking selected individuals. Is this a (current) rule?